124) Recognize Your Performance Pattern

124) Do You Recognize Your Performance Pattern?

Have you ever wondered why you performed better during certain time of the day and not so good during other times?

Normally, I am more creative and work better at night. Most of my articles are written at night. Well, maybe because I am working in the day, the only time I have is after office at night. Also the same goes for weekends. I am able to write more during the night. Maybe because I am less busy during the night.

So, this is my pattern. I am sure you can relate to similar experience. You know yourself better.

On a bigger scale, you can also start to be aware and able to recognize different patterns in more things.

Let's discuss about Weekly Pattern.
I am sure you have heard about Monday Blues? Most people will feel lazy on a Monday because they had slept late and woke up late on the Saturday and Sunday before. On Monday, they have to wake up early to go to work.

Many people are also more busy on Monday morning. They have meetings on Monday to plan for the rest of the week.

Most people will be happy on Friday as it is the day before the weekend. Some companies even closed earlier on a Friday. Companies also have "casual dress" on Friday. People tend to be more relaxed on Friday.

 


How about Monthly pattern?
Pay day is the best day of the month. You can withdraw money to spend after the income is paid. Shopping malls are more crowded at the end of the month and the first week of the month. The least crowded happens in the 3rd week of the month, just before pay day.

If you want money from your clients, you better see them on their pay day. They will have more money to give to you.

About work time, many people are busy during end of the month  They have monthly reports to complete and submit. This period will not be a good time to meet them. So, be aware of their work patterns.


How about the Yearly pattern?
The holidays and festivals happens on yearly basis. For the Chinese, the Chinese New Year falls on January or February every year. The Christmas falls on 25th December every year. The long school holidays starts from November to December.

Now, let's discuss about your Performance Pattern.

You need to be aware on the following:
a) Time when you are most effective.
b) Days when you are most effective.
c) Weeks when you are most effective.
d) Months when you are most effective.

If you are doing sales, you need to be aware of your sales closed. What were the best time, day, week and months?
Do keep a record and study them. The pattern will be very obvious.

You will notice that your sales are closed more during certain hours of the day, certain days of the week and certain months of the year.

If you are a Muslim, you normally work less during the Fasting and Hari Raya Puasa months.
If you are a Chinese, you normally work less before and during the Chinese New Year.
If you are a Christian, you normally work less during Christmas in December.
If you are a Hindu, you normally work less during Deepavali in October.

The same pattern will show if you only have customers.from a certain religion or race.
You must have heard about the importance of Investment Diversification. 

So it is also important that you need to have Client Diversification. 
Do diversify and have clients from different races and religions. The different festivals fall on different months of the year. 

Or else you will have the "Dry Months" where not much sales happened.

For example, if you only sell to the Chinese, your sales will be less in January and February. Unless you sell items related to Chinese New Year festivals, then your sales are highest during these months.

If a company provides certain sales incentive during certain period, then more sales will be done during that period. For example, when there are Sales Incentives for January to April, more Sales will be recorded during January to April. Thereafter, sales will be less in May.

Below is an example on how you can track your Yearly Sales Performance Pattern for 3 years.
This is how the graph looks like of your Yearly Sales Performance Pattern.

You will notice that the Sales grow from Feb to Apr, then dipped in May. Start to grow rapidly from Jun to Aug. Slows down in Oct and dropped in Dec. From the graph, your High Performance months are Jul, Aug & Nov. The weak months are Jan, Feb, May and Dec.

Now you are aware of the months that you need to work harder.

The Best Pattern is when all the months have the increasing amount. It is when you have a continuous growing performance.

In conclusion, if you want to Increase Your Performance, do study your Performance Pattern. 
Record and plot your Best Times. 

Take Appropriate and Planned Actions to increase performance on the weaker periods.

Have the Awareness Before Change can be done.


You may go to this link below to download the Excel template used to create the Performance Graphs.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1T-mUUcLmlaY4DQ9FceLL_1I4O5YZC_Eh